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Johannesburg - Industrial action does not necessarily mean the entire mining industry is in crisis, the Chamber of Mines said on Sunday.

"We need to understand the causes of the industrial
action that is taking place when we have existing wage agreements,"
spokesman Vusi Mabena said.

Strikes were not taking place across the sector, he said. They were restricted to platinum and possibly to gold.

It was a "serious generalisation" to say that the industry was in crisis.

"When the strikes took place, the platinum industry was going through hard times," he said.

There were not enough buyers, and a task team from the
government and industry had been investigating alternative markets in
order for the platinum industry to be sustainable.

"When the demand [for a salary of R12,500 a month] came in, there were already concerns about the sector," he said.

On Saturday, the Bench Marks Foundation criticised the
government, police, and platinum producer Lonmin for firing rubber
bullets at residents and protesters in the Nkaneng informal settlement
in Marikana.

"I am shocked and extremely angry to hear today
[Saturday] that the police are out in full force and people have phoned
me to tell me that workers have been shot at," the foundation's chairman
Bishop Jo Seoka, who is also the president of the SA Council of
Churches, said in a statement

"In addition, six women walking in Marikana were shot [at] with rubber bullets, and one is in hospital," he said.

Seoka was concerned that the hard work to maintaining peace could end because of the violence.

He said the government and Lonmin should be held accountable.

"The workers have been peaceful, [have] not injured
anyone.... Police asked the workers to give in any weapons. This they
did and then they were shot at. This is a gross violation of human
rights," he said.

The Bench Marks Foundation is an independent
faith-based organisation monitoring corporate performance, and is
involved in the mediation process at the mine.

On Saturday, several residents claimed they were injured when police fired rubber bullets at them.

One resident Melita Ramasedi said she was wounded while watching police breaking up a crowd of protesters.

"I am deeply hurt by this situation. A police nyala drove past us, we were a group of women and others ran away.

"I just stood there, watching and they shot me in my leg," she said showing her bleeding leg.

Another woman, Ntombe Ncence told journalists she was at the entrance of a spaza shop when she was hit by a rubber bullet.

"I do not understand why the police officers shot me. I
was knocking at the door of a shop and police officers inside a nyala
shot my leg."

Earlier, protesters gathered at the site where 34 people were killed by police on August 16.

Police used rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

Police also raided a nearby hostel, where a number of
people were arrested and a variety of weapons were seized, including
knobkerries and pangas.

Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said the arrests were part of a disarmament operation.

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